Cryoablation for small renal tumors: Current status and future perspectives

The aim of the present review is to summarize the current status and provide future perspectives of cryotherapy in the management of small renal masses. Cryotechnology is rapidly developing and cryosurgery can nowadays offer the advantage of combining a nephron-sparing surgery together with a minimally invasive approach. Given appropriate patient selection, kidney cryoablation shows encouraging intermediate term oncologic outcomes. Major recent advances have been made towards more accurate probe positioning, increased energy delivery, and reduced treatment-related morbidity.